0 a - t-r:  ' ' * / 

N°  50. 

S 472.  

MISSIONARY  SUCCESS, 

OR, 

ENCOURAGING  FEATURES 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE 

BAPTIST  GENERAL  TRACT  SOCIETY, 

ho.  3<J,  worth  fifth  strkit, 
PHILADELPHIA. 


2 “ Knock,  and  it  shall  be  opened  unto  you.” 

It  is  needless  to  prove,  that  by  this  action  our  Sav- 
iour intends  prayer.  But  see  the  simplicity  and  fa- 
miliarity of  his  comparisons;  and  wonder  not  that  the 
common  people  heard  him  gladly.  Volumes  have  been 
written  upon  the  subject  of  prayer:  but  he  who  spake 
as  never  man  spake,  comprises  every  thing  in  one  word 
— knock.  The  allusion  is  to  a person  who  wishes  to 
excite  attention,  in  order  to  obtain  relief — he  knocks. 

Where  are  we  to  knock?  “I  am,”  says  the  Saviour, 
“the  door.”  “ I am  the  way,  the  truth,  and  the  life: 
no  man  cometh  to  the  Father  but  by  me.” 

When  are  we  to  knock?  “Morning,  and  evening,  and 
noon,”  says  David,  “will  I pray,  and  cry  aloud.” 
“Pray  without  ceasing,”  says  Paul.  And,  says  our 
Lord,  “Men  ought  always  to  pray,  and  not  to  faint.” 

For  what  are  we  to  knock?  We  may  in  every  thing, 
by  prayer  and  supplication,  make  known  our  requests 
unto  God.  But  we  are  supremely  to  implore  all  spi- 
ritual blessings,  because  these  are  blessings  for  the  soul 
and  eternity.  Seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of  God,  and 
his  righteousness. 

How  are  we  to  knock?  Importunately — we  cannot 
knock  too  loud.  Prayer  is  nothing,  unless  it  be  sin- 
cere and  earnest.  God  will  not  regard  the  address  we 
ourselves  do  not  feel.  Jacob  said,  “I  will  not  let  thee 
go,  except  thou  bless  me:”  and  he  prevailed. — How? 
Perseveringly.  The  Lord  does  not  always  immediately 
appear  to  our  joy.  “I  waited  patiently  for  the  Lord,” 
says  David,  “ and  at  last  he  inclined  his  ear  unto  me. 
and  heard  my  cry.”  And,  “ blessed,”  it  is  said,  “ are 
all  they  that  wait  for  him.”  But  though  it  be  a good 
thing  for  a man  not  only  to  hope,  but  quietly  to  wait 
for  the  salvation  of  God, — it  is  often  no  easy  thing. 
The  delay  is  trying  in  itself;  but  circumstances  may 
render  it  more  so.  While  standing  at  the  door,  the 
weather  may  be  foul;  or  those  passing  by  may  laugh 
and  insult — for  they  are  full,  and  have  need  of  nothing: 
or,  he  may  be  weak,  and  ready  to  faint  And  what, 
while  thus  exercised,  can  keep  the  man  knocking  and 
waiting?  Nothing  but  a sense  of  his  wants.  They  are 
so  pressing,  that  he  must  succeed,  or  perish.  Nothing, 
but  hope.  This  hope  may  be  sometimes  very  weak. 

cq  t Continued  op  the  -d  page. 


MISSIONARY  SUCCESS; 

oh,  Qf.y  r| 

ENCOURAGING  FEATURES 


THE  PRESENT  ASPECT  OF  THE  TIMES 
AS  IT 

RESPECTS  MISSIONS. 


BT  THOMAS  SWAM,  TATE  PROFESSOR  AT  SERAJIPORE.* 


IT  must  be  obvious  to  every  one  who  is  at  all  interest- 
ed in  the  prosperity  of  Missions,  that  there  exists,  at 
the  present  time,  very  generally,  a disposition  to  de- 
preciate the  labours  of  missionaries,  and  to  urge  what 
is  called  a want  of  success  as  a reason  against  persever- 
ing and  increased  efforts  to  illuminate  and  convert  the 
world.  This  want  of  success  is  spoken  of  every  day 
by  men  who  are  themselves  strangers  to  the  power  of 
true  religion,  and  enemies  to  the  spread  of  real  piety — 
and  men  whom  nothing  would  gratify  less  than  to  hear 
of  all  the  wretched  idolaters  of  India  casting  their  idols 
to  the  moles  and  to  the  bats.  The  very  thing  that  they 
affect  to  deplore,  they  secretly  exult  in;  and  those  men, 
whose  every  effort  is  directed  to  the  destruction  of  the 
kingdom  of  Satan  and  to  the  establishment  of  the  king- 
dom of  Christ,  are  the  men  whom  they  of  all  others 
most  despise,  and  whose  labours  they  least  value. 

Now,  that  more  success  has  not  attended  the  labours 
of  missionaries,  particularly  as  to  the  conversion  of  the 
heathen,  is  certainly  to  be  deplored,  and  will  be  lament- 
ed by  every  missionary  who  is  anxious  to  rescue  souls 
from  eternal  destruction;  and  it  is  the  duty  of  faithful 
missionaries  to  humble  themselves  before  God  on  this 
account,  and  to  search  their  hearts,  and  try  their  ways, 
to  see  why  it  is  that  God  withholds  the  blessing.  It 

• Mr.  S.  was  for  some  time  Professor  of  Divinity  in  the  Seram- 
pore  College,  Bengal,  where  this  discouise  was  first  delivered 

Vol.  II.  — 1 i 


2 


MISSIONARY  SUCCESS. 


[158 

is  their  duty  to  see  that  their  spirit  and  conduct  are 
agreeable  to  that  blessed  Gospel  which  they  wish  to 
impart  to  others,  and  to  fear  lest  they  should  themselves 
be  stumbling-blocks  in  the  way  of  the  heathen,  to  pre- 
vent them  from  coming  to  Christ.  This  lies  with  mis- 
sionaries themselves.  And  as  they  see  little  fruit  of 
their  labours  as  it  respects  conversions,  they  should  be 
the  more  anxious  with  God  in  prayer  for  the  influence 
of  that  Spirit  who  alone  can  convert  the  soul. 

Cut  we  are  not  prepared  to  admit  the  idea  that  little 
or  no  success  has  attended  missionary  labours.  On  the 
contrary,  we  deny  the  truth  of  all  such  representations 
by  whomsoever  they  may  be  made.  It  is  true  that  na- 
tions have  not  been  converted.  But  that  glorious  con- 
summation could  not  be  expected  in  the  short  period  that 
has  elapsed  since  missionary  work  began  to  occupy  the 
minds  of  Christians  in  general.  The  effects  have  been 
quite  equal  to  the  means  employed,  and  to  the  time 
during  which  these  means  have  been  in  operation;  and, 
instead  of  allowing  our  minds  to  sink  because  these  ef- 
fects have  been  so  small,  we  should  be  grateful  to  God 
that  they  have  been  such  as  they  mighf  have  been  ex- 
pected to  be  for  the  time;  and  we  should  take  encou- 
ragement to  hope  for  greater  things,  if  we  persevere 
in  an  humble  pious  manner  in  the  good  work  of  the 
Lord.  There  is  a danger,  we  all  know,  of  despising 
the  day  of  small  things;  and  enemies  of  the  truth  and 
false  professors  will  always  be  found  to  do  so.  But 
let  us  beware.  If  we  despise  the  day  of  small  things, 
God  may  easily  prevent  our  enjoying  the  day  of  great 
things,  when  he  will  pour  out  liis  Spirit  in  a more 
abundant  manner,  and  refresh  his  waiting  church  with 
the  conversion  of  thousands,  and  even  millicns.  Our 
present  object  is,  to  select,  from  the  present  aspect  of 
things,  as  to  missionaries  and  their  labours,  a few  fea- 
tures of  a highly  encouraging  nature,  the  contemplation 
of  which  may  counterbalance  the  depressing  effects  of 
the  uncandid  statements  of  ungodly  men,  and  stimulate 
us  to  advance  in  our  holy  and  honourable  course  with 
increased  vigour. 

1.  Consider  in  how  many  places  of  the  globe  the  true 
light  is  beginning  to  shine,  where,  not  many  years  aro, 


MISSIONARY  SUCCESS. 


3 


159] 

it  was  unmixed  darkness.  This  must  be,  to  every  spi- 
ritual mind,  an  exceedingly  cheering  consideration. 
The  darkness  that  formerly  covered  the  earth,  and  the 
gross  darkness  that  hung  over  the  people,  is  now,  to 
say  the  least,  broken  in  upon,  and  broken  in  upon  by 
the  light  of  truth  itself.  It  is  true,  that  in  most  places 
the  light  is  extremely  feeble,  when  compared  with  the 
thick  gloom  that  surrounds  it — it  is  so  feeble,  that  it 
may  well  be  compared  to  a glimmering  taper  in  a wil- 
derness at  midnight;  but  this  need  not  damp  our  joy. 
We  are  to  consider  the  quality  of  the  element,  not  its 
quantity — the  nature  of  the  light,  not  its  present  splen- 
dour. It  is  the  light  of  truth.  If  this  truth  be  impart- 
ed only  to  a few  minds  at  first,  it  will  be  imparted  to  a 
greater  number  of  minds  after  that,  and  after  them  to 
a greater  number  still,  increasing  by  a ratio  much  be- 
yond what  we  can  at  present  conceive,  till  it  pervades 
the  majority  of  minds  in  the  universe.  This  we  are 
certain  of  from  the  nature  of  the  thing;  and  much  more 
so  from  the  sure  word  of  prophecy,  which  assures  that 
the  light  shall  gradually  increase — “that  the  light  of 
the  moon  shall  be  as  the  light  of  the  sun,  and  the  light 
of  the  sun  shall  be  seven-fold,  as  the  light  of  seven 
days.”  Is.  xxx.  26. 

Now,  what  can  we  expect  more  as  yet.  The  light 
has  begun  to  spread.  It  has  not  filled  the  world — it  has 
not  yet  shamed  away  all  the  horrid  systems  of  error 
and  sin; — but  was  that  to  be  expected  in  so  short  a 
time?  It  must  take  a series  of  years  for  truth  to  make 
a universal  and  mighty  impression;  but  that  such  an 
impression  will  be  made,  those  who  consider  the  na- 
ture of  the  truth  and  the  promises  of  God  cannot  have 
the  shadow  of  a doubt. 

2.  Consider  the  union  of  the  people  of  God  of  all 
denominations  in  their  efforts  to  enlighten  the  world, 
however  much  they  may  differ  in  points  of  minor  im- 
portance. This  is  a very  encouraging  feature  of  the 
present  times;  and  from  this  we  have  every  reason  to 
expect  that  hatred  and  contention  will  soon  cease — 
that  “Ephraim  will  not  envy  Judah,  nor  Judah  vex 
Ephraim.”  Nothing  tends  more  to  check  piety,  and  to 
prevent  its  increase  in  the  souls  of  believers,  than  the 


4 


MISSIONARY  SUCCESS. 


[_I60 

indulgence  of  a spirit  of  controversy,  even  although 
the  subjects  of  the  controversy  should  be  the  import- 
ant subjects  of  religion;  and  therefore  nothing  can  be 
more  delightful  than  to  see  true  Christians  of  every 
name  leaving  off  their  disputes,  and  uniting  together, 
with  all  their  hearts,  in  promoting  among  the  sons  of 
men,  that  truth  by  which  they  are  all  saved.  In  the 
promotion  of  this  truth,  the  true  watchmen  on  mount 
Zion  see  “eye  to  eye,”  and  this  is  an  evidence  that  the 
Lord  is  about  to  “appear  in  his  glory  to  build  up 
Zion.  ” Those  great  essential  truths  of  the  Bible  which 
shine  out  clearly,  and  which  cannot  but  be  observed  by 
all  whose  minds  are  enlightened  from  above,  are  the 
objects  of  universal  attraction,  and  all  Christians  seem 
anxious  that  these  leading  stars  of  revelation  should 
shine  upon  the  darkest  regions  of  the  world. 

3.  Consider  what  a vast  work  of  Education  is  going 
on.  We  all  know  the  effect  of  early  education;  and 
some  are  found  to  speak  of  the  omnipotence  of  educa- 
tion, as  if  education  could  do  every  thing.  But  with- 
out going  so  far,  we  believe,  in  general,  the  truth  of 
what  was  said  by  the  wisest  of  men, — “ Train  up  a 
child  in  the  way  he  should  go,  and  when  he  is  old  he 
will  not  depart  from  it.”  In  good  education,  princi- 

f>les  are  imparted  which,  though  they  may  seem  inef- 
ective  at  the  time,  and  even  for  long  afterwards,  will 
discover  their  existence  at  some  future  period.  The 
good  seed  which  was  cast  into  the  ground  may  be  long 
hid,  it  may  lie  buried  during  a long  winter  of  careless- 
ness or  folly;  but  it  will  spring  up  again  and  yield  a rich 
harvest.  All  missionaries  seem  at  the  present  time 
impressed  with  the  great  importance  of  education,  and 
they  engage  in  it  with  energy  and  delight;  and  it  is  but 
reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  effects  will  be  according 
to  the  efforts  which  are  made.  How  many  thousands 
of  children  are  now  taught  to  read  the  scriptures  whose 
forefathers  were  permitted  to  grow  up  in  ignorance  and 
sin. 

4.  The  great  increase  of  knowledge  of  different  kinds, 
is  a most  encouraging  feature  of  the  present  time. 
The  time  was  when  pious  people  discouraged  a spirit 
of  inquiry,  seemed  to  think  that  the  glorious  truths 


MISSIONARY  SUCCESS. 


5 


'.61] 

and  mysteries  of  religion  could  not  bear  the  light  of 
philosophy,  and  that  great  knowledge  and  a profound 
sense  of  religion  could  not  exist  in  the  same  individual. 
Those  times  have  now  passed  away.  The  reformation 
of  religion  was  the  reformation  of  philosophy — the  one 
advanced  hand  in  hand  with  the  other;  and,  even  in  the 
present  day,  the  most  enlightened  men  of  science  are 
among  the  most  enlightened  disciples  of  true  religion. 
The  evidence  for  the  truth  of  the  religion  of  the  Bible 
becomes  the  brighter  in  proportion  as  knowledge  in- 
creases— religious  knowledge,  as  the  centre,  receives 
a tribute  of  light  and  glory  from  the  whole  circle  of  the 
sciences.  Now  these  are  the  times  described  in  pro- 
phecy; “ Many  shall  run  to  and  fro,  and  knowledge  shall 
be  increased.”  Enlightened  missionaries  impart  know- 
ledge wherever  they  go.  They  increase  our  acquaint- 
ance with  the  different  countries  in  which  they  reside, 
they  enlarge  the  boundaries  of  science,  and  they  accu- 
mulate facts  and  observations  on  character,  by  attend- 
ing to  which  we  obtain  a deeper  insight  into  human 
nature,  and  a better  knowledge  of  the  human  mind. 

a.  In  thia  wonderful  age  the  Bible  has  been  trans- 
lated into  many  of  the  languages  of  the  heathen,  and 
even  now  the  glorious  work  is  going  on.  This  fact 
itself,  if  no  other  of  an  encouraging  nature  existed, 
were  sufficient  to  shed  lustre  on  an  age.  The  heathen, 
in  many  parts  of  the  world,  can  read  in  their  own 
tongues  the  wonderful  works  of  God.  The  translation 
of  the  Bible  into  the  language  of  a country,  gives  a per- 
manency to  the  labours  of  a missionary  that  otherwise 
would  not  attach  to  them.  It  is  laying  a broad  founda- 
tion, and  it  is  laying  it  deep  and  firm.  On  that  foun- 
dation a structure  will  rise  which  will  gladden  the  mind 
of  the  missionary  even  when  he  is  in  heaven.  The  mis- 
sionary will  die — his  many  sermons  and  pious  conver- 
sations among  the  heathen  may  be  forgotten — even  the 
effect  of  his  holy  example  among  them  may  cease  to 
operate — but  if  he  has  left  the  Bible  among  them  in 
their  own  tongue,  he  has  left  them  a treasure  which  will 
never  perish,  and  for  which  they  will  bless  God  through 
eternity — he  has  kindled  a fire  among  them  which  all 
the  powers  of  darkness  shall  never  be  able  to  put  out, 
14* 


b 


MISSIONARY  SUCCESS. 


j_  1 62 

The  great  work  of  the  venerable  and  truly  excellent 
Dr.  Carey  is  his  translation  of  the  Bible  into  the  Ben- 
galee language.  He  himself  considers  it  his  great  work. 
The  translation  is  generally  esteemed  a good  one.  Hi- 
therto it  has  been  printed  on  very  bad  paper;  but  the 
worthy  Dr.  is  now  (1828)  superintending  a new  edi- 
tion of  which  both  the  type  and  paper  are  good,  and 
which  will  receive  his  last  corrections.  The  holy  man 
contemplates  this  as  his  last  work,  and  is  very  anxious 
to  see  it  accomplished.  And  who  would  not  wish  and 
pray  that  he  may  live  to  do  it.  And  who  can  tell  the 
good  that  maybe  done  in  future  ages,  in  India,  through 
the  instrumentality  of  Dr.  Carey’s  Bengalee  Bible. — 
Hear  what  God  saith — “My  word  shall  not  return  unto 
me  void;  but  it  shall  accomplish  that  which  I please, 
and  it  shall  prosper  in  the  thing  whereto  I sent  it.” 
Will  the  enemies  of  missions  persist  in  their  absurdity, 
and  yet  say,  that  no  good  has  been  done  when  the  Bible 
has  been  given  to  the  heathen?  This  is  a work  that 
should  excite  songs  of  praise  in  every  corner  of  the 
church  of  Christ. 

6.  Consider  the  great  improvement  of  European  so- 
ciety in  this  country  within  these  few  years.  This 
is  an  incontestable  fact;  and  it  must  certainly  be  attri- 
buted to  the  effects  of  the  labours  of  missionaries.  At 
present  we  allude  chiefly  to  India.  Those  who  have 
lived  long  in  this  country,  and  have  observed  attentively 
the  state  of  society,  and  have  been  fitted  by  their  talents 
and  occupations  to  make  just  observations,  all  agree  in 
this,  that  European  society  in  India  is  immensely  alter- 
ed for  the  better  within  these  last  thirty  years.  The 
evidences  of  this  improvement  are  these:  the  system 
of  life  is  in  a great  degree  altered;  profligacy  and  pro- 
fanity are  not  so  general;  the  ordinances  of  religion, 
which  were  generally  despised,  are  now  attended  to; 
and  we  may  add,  Europeans  are  found  willing  to  con- 
tribute of  their  substance  to  every  good  work.  But 
even  more  glorious  effects  than  these  have  followed  the 
labours  of  faithful  missionaries  in  India.  Many  of  all 
ranks,  who  left  their  own  happy  country  in  a state  of 
ignorance  and  sin,  have  been  converted  from  the  error 
of  their  ways,  have  devoted  themselves  to  the  service 


MISSIONARY  SUCCESS. 


7 


163] 


of  God,  and  have  become  auxiliaries  to  missionaries  in 
the  work  of  the  Lord.  Now,  what  can  be  more  encou- 
raging to  those  who  love  Zion?  and  what  more  con- 
founding fact  can  you  propose  to  the  enemies  of  mis- 
sions than  this?* 

Finally,  Consider  the  value  of  those  souls  which  have 
really  been  rescued  from  eternal  death  by  the  efforts 
of  missionaries.  This  is  the  great  point  in  dispute  be- 
tween the  advocates  of  missions  and  the  enemies  of 
missions.  The  enemies  of  missions  exultingly  demand: 
“ Where  are  your  converts  ? how  many  have  you  con- 
verted ? You  have  had  little  or  no  success.”  We  reply; 
Some  have  been  converted  in  different  parts  of  the  world 
through  the  labours  of  missionaries — some  are  even 
now  living  in  the  faith  of  the  gospel — some  have  died 
and  ascended  to  heaven  under  the  influence  of  that  hap- 
piness which  the  gospel  only  can  impart.  And  we  re- 
tort upon  the  enemies  of  missions,  and  demand  from 
them  a reply  to  our  questions. — How  do  you  estimate 
the  value  of  the  soul  of  man  ? Can  you  see  no  success 
except  whole  towns,  cities,  or  countries  come  over  at 
once  to  the  side  of  Christianity  ? Is  it  of  souls  as  souls  that 
you  speak  when  you  talk  of  conversion,  or  by  conver- 
sion do  you  merely  mean  attaching  the  name  of  Chris- 
tian to  nations  at  once,  considered  as  political  commu- 
nities? Do  you  ever  reflect  on  the  Saviour’s  estimate 
of  the  value  of  one  soul  ? Missionaries,  forsooth,  are  to 
consider  their  labours  as  utterly  ineffectual,  because  you 
are  not  satisfied  with  the  number  of  converts  they  have 
obtained.  But  be  assured  missionaries  will  not  think 
so,  since  they  reckon  even  one  soul  more  than  an  equi- 
valent for  all  their  poor  labours.  But  few  as  has  been 
the  number  of  their  converts,  it  has  been  such  that  they 
are  encouraged  to  go  on  in  their  work  with  hope  and 
joy. 


* I have  heard  Dr.  Carey  say,  that,  when  he  arrived  in  India 
he  could  number  only  seven  pious  Europeans,  of  whom  four  or 
five  were  missionaries.  But  now,  good  men,  both  in  the  civil  and 
military  service,  are  to  be  found  wherever  you  go.  They  shine  as 
lights  in  the  midst  of  the  surrounding  darkness,  and  no  doubt  con- 
tribute, by  their  holy  examples  as  well  as  by  their  efforts,  to  hasten 
on  the  glorious  millennial  era. 


8 


MISSIONARY  SUCCESS. 


L.54 

Now  we  leave  these  considerations  with  the  enemies 
of  missions.  Through  missions  the  light  of  the  glo- 
rious gospel  of  the  blessed  God  is  beginning  to  shine 
in  many  places  of  the  globe  where,  but  a few  years 
since,  all  was  darkness — through  missions,  the  people 
of  God,  in  general,  of  all  denominations,  have  become 
more  united  in  propagating  the  great  essential  truths 
of  the  Bible — through  missions,  a great  work  of  edu- 
cation is  going  on — through  missions,  there  has  been 
an  immense  augmentation  of  all  kinds  of  knowledge — 
through  missions,  the  Bible  has  been  translated  into 
many  of  the  languages  of  the  heathen;  in  their  own 
tongues  they  have  heard  of  the  wonderful  works  of 
God — through  missions,  in  India,  European  society, 
within  these  few  years,  has  become  greatly  meliorated; 
and,  in  fine,  through  missions,  hundreds  of  souls  have 
been  rescued  from  eternal  death. — Now,  if  these  things 
are  so,  and  that  they  are  all  who  are  in  the  least  ac- 
quainted with  the  present  state  of  the  world  well  know, 
nothing  can  be  more  absurd  or  dangerous  than  to  be 
found  among  the  enemies  of  missions. 

-O0O- 

STRIKING  REMARK. 

That  man  must  surely  be  unused  to  reflection,  or 
wilfully  blind,  who  does  not  behold  among  “the  signs 
of  the  times,”  the  wheel  of  a great  moral  revolution 
rolling  irresistibly  onward,  whose  velocity  is  increas- 
ing and  must  continue  to  increase,  until  the  purposes 
of  Him  who  gave  it  impulse  and  regulates  its  motion, 
shall  have  been  finally  and  fully  accomplished.  The 
“image”  has  already  been  “smitten;”  and  the  “Stone 
that  was  cut  out  of  the  mountain  without  hands”  is  fill- 
ing the  “whole  earth.”  Who  is  not  struck  with  the 
remarkable  accordance  of  prophecy  with  the  events  of 
this  age? 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE 

BAPTIST  GENERAL  TRACT  SOCIETY, 

KO.  36,  NORTH  FIFTH  STREET, 


PHILADELPHIA. 


KNOCK,  AND  IT  SHALL  BE  OPENED. 


3 


But  a degree  of  it,  if  it  only  amounts  to  a mere  possi- 
bility, is  necessary  to  preserve  him  from  abandoning 
his  suit,  and  saying,  “ What,  should  I wait  for  the 
Lord  any  longer?”  More,  however,  is  desirable  and 
attainable:  and  here  is  enough  to  say  to  him,  “ Wait 
on  the  Lord,  be  of  good  courage,  and  he  shall  strength- 
en thy  heart:  wait,  I say,  on  the  Lord.”  Here  is  the 
command — “ Knock.”  Here  is  the  promise — “ It  shall 
be  opened.” 

But  how  shall  I plead?  I knock,  and  long  for  audi- 
ence— and  yet  I draw  back,  and  seem  afraid  to  be  seen. 
For,  what  can  I say?  What  does  the  beggar  say?  He 
is  not  at  a loss.  Heknows  a fine  address  is  not  neces- 
sary— it  would  be  contemned.  Yet  he  can  express  his 
meaning:  and  his  wants  and  feelings  make  him  elo- 
quent. Begin,  then,  and  say — 

“ Encourag’d  by  thy  word 
Of  promise  to  the  poor. 

Behold,  a beggar.  Lord, 

Waits  at  thy  mercy’s  door! 

No  hand,  no  heart,  O Lord,  but  thine. 

Can  help  or  pity  wants  like  mine. 

Yet  add — 

“The  beggar’s  usual  plea. 

Relief  from  men  to  gain, 

If  offer’d  unto  thee, 

I know  thou  would’st  disdain; 

And  pleas  which  move  thy  gracious  ear. 

Are  such  as  men  would  scorn  to  hear.” 

There  are  five  of  these  pleas  urged  by  others,  which 
you  must  completely  reverse. 

How  often  does  the  beggar  plead  his  former  condi- 
tion— “He  has  seen  better  days:  and  once  had  a suffi- 
ciency for  himself  and  others.  ” But  this  must  be  your 
language — 

“I  have  no  right  to  say. 

That  though  I now  am  poor. 

Yet  once  there  was  a day 
When  I possessed  more: 

Thou  know’st  that  from  my  very  birth 
I’ve  been  the  poorest  wretch  on  earth.” 

How  often  does  the  beggar  plead  his  innocency  or 
goodness — “ I have  been  reduced,  not  by  my  fault,  but 
50 


12  pages.~]  knock  and  it  shall  be  opened. 

my  misfortune;  and  deserve  pity  rather  than  censure.” 
But  your  language  must  be — 


As  beggars  often  do. 

Though  great  is  my  distress. 

My  faults  have  been  but  few: 

If  thou  shouldst  leave  my  soul  to  starve, 
It  would  be  what  I well  deserve.” 


How  often  does  the  beggar  plead  the  unusualness  of 
his  application — This  is  not  my  practice:  it  is  the 
first,  and  shall  be  the  last  time  of  my  importuning 
you.”  But  your  language  must  be — 


“ ’Twere  folly  to  pretend 
I never  begg’d  before; 

Or  if  thou  now  befriend. 

I’ll  trouble  thee  no  more; 
Thou  often  hast  reliev’d  my  pain. 
And  often  I must  come  again.” 


How  often  does  the  beggar  plead  the  smallness  of 
the  boon — “ A very  little  will  suffice  me:  I ask  only  a 
trifle.”  But  your  language  must  be — 


“ Though  crumbs  are  much  too  good 
For  such  a dog  as  I, 

No  less  than  children’s  food 
My  soul  can  satisfy. 

0 do  not  frown  and  bid  me  go, 

1 must  have  all  thou  canst  bestow.” 


Men,  so  limited  are  their  resources,  are  afraid  of 
more  applications  than  they  can  relieve:  and  therefore 
enjoin  the  suppliant  secrecy;  and  he  promises  conceal- 
ment. But  your  language  must  be — 


“Nor  can  I willing  be, 

Thy  bounty  to  conceal 
From  others  who  like  me, 
Their  wants  and  hunger  feel: 
I’ll  tell  them  of  thy  mercy’s  store, 
And  try  to  send  a "thousand  more.” 


Nor  can  I dare  profess, 


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■t. 


